US Solar Eclipse August 21, 2017

[MaverickSawyer]

I'm going to make a pinhole projector, myself. I made one for a partial eclipse several years ago, but as it was made from cardboard, tinfoil, and tape (no, seriously, it was!) I kinda discarded it after the event was over.

 

[Notebook]

Lots if info here:

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/celestial-objects-to-watch/eclipses/

N.

 

[tony]

I'm going to Oregon. It's supposed to be a mob scene. Madres motels want $1000/night with a 3 night minimum. So I'm probably just going to arrive 2 days early and do some car camping in the desert.

If you watch the partial phases leading up to totality, your eyes might not be dark-adapted enough to fully enjoy the subtle details in the corona and see stars and planets. Totality will only last 2+ minutes. Wear dark sunglasses in addition to having a hand-held solar filter. After totality, it will do the partial phases again for you

 

[MaverickSawyer]

Yeah, I can see Oregon being bananas. It's passing just south of Portland and Salem.
To be honest, I'm half tempted to make a run to the coast of Oregon and be among the first people to watch it make landfall... But I'm sure I'm not alone in that idea, either, so that could be crazy as well.

 

[tony]

The problem with Oregon, and most of the rest of the US is the finite number of North-South roads. How do you get into the path of totality? Highway 5 or Highway 97. These highways are 2 lanes in each direction, hundreds of thousands of people are expected to try to use them, and they all have the same small destination!

Salem is in the path of totality. Its a narrow path. Portland is too far north, Eugene is too far south, and they're only an hour drive from each other.

The coast of Oregon has a high probability of clouds. The desert of Oregon has the best weather prospects in the USA (at least that's what I heard).

 

[Kyle]

Thinking of flying to Kansas City, MO and staying in a hotel near the airport. Nashville, TN and Columbia, SC are my backup locations.

 

[SolarLiner]

The Sun seems a bit large in Orbiter .

The white blob is not the sun itself but the light scattering caused by the atmosphere, which does not take shadows into account.

 

[Marg]

The desert of Oregon has the best weather prospects in the USA (at least that's what I heard).

Yeah, that's right about those prospects, so I hope to be somewhere there as well.

 

[PhantomCruiser]

I'm just going to go outside into my backyard and look up. I've got welders goggles, need to check what filters are in them.

 

[Blake]

Central Idaho. No special equipment other then protective eye wear. I just need to find someplace to park a toy hauler overnight somewhere in the general vicinity.

 

[NukeET]

Central Idaho. No special equipment other then protective eye wear. I just need to find someplace to park a toy hauler overnight somewhere in the general vicinity.

IIRC, the path of totality is really close to Idaho Falls. I have that week off for vacation and hope to be in that ground track.

 

[Thunder Chicken]

I went on an evening hike during the transit of Venus across the sun in 2012. We used a pair of binoculars and projected the image onto the side of a white cardboard Chinese food take-out box. Very clearly saw Venus in mid-transit. Would probably work well for a solar eclipse.

 

[Artlav]

We used a pair of binoculars and projected the image onto the side of a white cardboard Chinese food take-out box

Works nicely for a partial eclipse, but i suspect it would be too dim for a full one.

Here is the Feb 26th one taken this way:

 

[Andy44]

Some info here: http://www.eclipse2017.org/2017/path_through_the_US.htm

Greenville, South Carolina is under the full shadow path. I might make the trip.

Unfortunately, it's a Monday, which means negotiating a day off of work in what is usually a busy season.

 

[Messierhunter]

I'm going to be staying in Kearney, Nebraska the night before the eclipse. Anyone headed up that way? Any good viewing spots within an hour's drive or so?

I'm going to be bringing my 8" LX200 (with type 2+ white light filter for pre- and post-totality), Canon T5i, and Coronado PST. I might try to acquire another piece between now and then to view with, we'll see.

 

[marcheenek]

Carbondale, IL, where it's supposed to be the greatest duration. I'll be camping at South Sandusky near Rand Lake and hiking in Shawnee National Forrest during the week. I have a pair of Barska 20x80, which I used before for sun viewing, with a Baader AstroSolar filter, of course

 

[Kyle]

1 week away tomorrow.

 

[Artlav]

Damn USA bureaucracy with their stupid visa requirements...

 

[MaverickSawyer]

I've made plans to be just about centered under the path of totality, deep in eastern Oregon.

 

[Andy44]

I think I'm just going to drive down to South Carolina and then back home. It's a few hours on the road. Only thing is Interstate 95 between Washington and Richmond is horrible for traffic these days so I'll have to allow for that. I suppose I could hop on a train the Charleston...